“I’m not a traditional guitarist.  I’m a musician that plays through my instrument, so, I’ll sacrifice traditional guitar things just to make sounds and colors.  And that’s weeping.”

Ray Fuller, A/K/A, The Weeper, has been a professional musician since the age of 13, when he covered for guitarist mentor Reggie Boyd at a gig in Northwestern University.   At 14, he could perform all of Pink Floyd’s solos. To date, he has played with just about everybody, on over 400 recordings and is still going strong.  How does that level of achievement happen?  It starts with talent, and goes on from there.

Ray grew up, under difficult circumstances, in the south side of Chicago.  He began playing guitar when he was just over seven years old.  “At 7 ½, the guys in the basement started teaching me guitar.  I did it because I knew that’s where we could eat.  They always had snacks down there.  They didn’t mind a little stinky kid around.  They kind of adopted me in that way, and loved on me.  That was the most consistent thing I had, and I loved it.”  It was nearly two years later that his mother found out about his musical education.  Growing up in Chicago, Ray was surrounded by good music and great musicians.  James Brown, Tammy Terrell, Marvin Gaye, The Chi-Lites, and Curtis Mayfield were just some of the people he heard on the radio as he was coming up, and who he connected with later on when he turned pro.  He became a protégé of Curtis Mayfield and, at 14, gave lessons to, and played some gigs with the legendary Pop Staples.  He also listened to artists like Jimmy Paige and Eric Clapton.  “I listened to all types of music.  I could hear it, I could learn it, and I could spit it back out with more flavor on it.” 

As a musician, Ray has played with everyone, including George Duke, Everett Harp, Anita Baker, Jonathan Butler, Gerald Albright, Boney James, Branford Marsalis, Quincy Jones, Euge Groove, Brenda Russell, Diane Reeves, the Staple Singers, the Chi Lites, Joe Sample, Branford Marsalis, and George Benson.  He released his first album called, The Weeper, to critical acclaim.  “It was a love project.  It was recorded live at a time when everyone was recording everything on computers.”  Ray is currently working on his next project, called The Epiphany.  “It’s a reflection of my life musically.  This is a conscious reflection, so it will be a diverse record.  I’m naturally commercial, but I’m naturally emotional and passionate.”  Look for many, many talented musicians to play on this album.  “I just know some of the greatest interpreters of music, and storytellers.  And there are many.  There are some that tell some great stories through their instruments.”

We could not help but discuss the current state of the smooth jazz industry.  Though it is in turmoil right now, Ray is optimistic about the future of the music.  “I think it’s now going to force the artist, the true artist, not the person that signs the record deal that makes him an artist, but, the true artist, to emerge, because of competition, because of survival.  And that doesn’t mean you have to have any experience, it just means where your heart is coming from.  It doesn’t have to fit in a box anymore.  And that’s what I’m excited for, the possibility.”  Ray’s heart is in the right place, both musically, and non musically as well.

In the opening paragraph, I said that it begins with the talent, but it is so much more than that for Ray Fuller.  He recognizes that his talent as a gift, and, he recognizes the power that music possesses.  “Music, for some of us, saved our lives.  It creates lives, and it brings life, and it’s more significant than just some background thing.  Music is art, and art is a gift.  It’s a story that connects us all.”  That attitude is another reason why Ray is as successful as he is.

Everything in life happens for a reason, though the reason may not always be apparent to us at the time.  Ray’s circumstances led him on a path to become a professional musician.  Being a professional musician gives him a means in which to use his talent and his connections to help at risk children, a cause which is near and dear to him.  “I work with a lot of non profit situations.  I hear people’s hearts.  I know they’re carrying a vision, a story, and a song, and I buy into that, whether its music related or not.”    Through his organization, the Weeper’s Friends Foundation, Ray helps children whenever and however he can.  It’s so much fun helping people.  I like people discovering themselves.  “I love children.  I understand their innocence, their fears.  I created an organization because of the way I came up, so that I could help other artists who are struggling in any other kind of transition, as long as they’re serving children’s causes at the end of the day. As long as they’re willing to be there for children, I’ll help them any way I can.”  The Weeper’s Friends is a recognized 501(c) 3, and it was founded to basically support and sustain creative artists, individuals, and organizations that support at risk youth.  In addition to the Weeper’s Foundation, Ray works with, and is the President of the Riverside County CASA Board. (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children.)

I could not end this article without asking about the nickname, “The Weeper.”  Ray was given this nickname by either George Duke, or Everett Harp, depending on which story you believe.  He credits George Duke, but Everett was the first one to put it in writing.  It is attributed to his unique style of playing.  “It’s an emotive style.  I’m not a traditional guitarist.  I’m a musician that plays through my instrument, so, I’ll sacrifice traditional guitar things just to make sounds and colors.  I work with so many different musicians. We’re all trying to get to the same goal in a song.  I’ll just kind of embellish where they’re going without messing them up.  I’ll just play the moisture around them.  The whole thing is, you may not even hear the guitar, so, it’s a sacrifice that’s become a style.  And that’s weeping.”

Look for Ray Fuller playing locally throughout southern California, and on a CD near you.


www.weepersfriends.org
www.nationalcasa.org